Betrayal
by Shiro-The-Espada
Summary: AU/Ichigo loses everything he ever fought for, and in a heartbeat his soul shatters, his Hollow is released. With the help of some new allies Ichigo will fight back and get revenge for his loved ones, and continue his journey... As an Espada! (future yaoi pairing and the rating may be subject to change)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

Winter had come to Karakura Town, a thick blanket of snow and ice lay across the paths and roads, decorating the trees and rooftops while the windows were etched with various Jack Frost patterns; the sky was a dirty white shade, threatening even more snow and coldness around them all.

Ichigo was walking home from school, his fur lied jacket hugging his toned physique as he exhaled each chilly breath, defined by the visible whiteness clinging to his breath. His cheeks were pinked from the bitterness of the wind and there were some snow flakes stuck to the material of his coat; his grip on his satchel was tight as he trawled towards the Kurosaki's Clinic.

As he reached the gate, an overly familiar feeling of being followed made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he looked around quickly, seeing nothing but a flicker of blue light in the alley across the road; he frowned faintly and took a breath, turning his back on the alley and heading into his home.

Over the past two months, the number of Hollows in the area had dipped to an all time low, and the amount of time Ichigo was called out to do his Shinigami duties was lessening. It hadn't gone unnoticed that in fact this dip in Hollow activity coincided with the sensation of being followed, and he was beginning to wonder if it was connected.

He headed straight up the stairs to his room, closing the door behind him before he threw his satchel down on his bed and began moving the wet layers of his jacket and pants. He stripped off completely, flexing each toned muscle as he moved; he got changed into a long sleeved black vest with the number '15' printed on the back in dark red, and a pair of khaki green slacks.

Ichigo took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment, running a hand down his face to sooth the anxiety in his heart, he then shook his head and went downstairs to see his sisters. Yuzu was already in the kitchen cooking and Karin was at the dining table doing her homework; both girls looked up as their brother entered and smiled.

"What's up?" he asked as he sat opposite the darker haired girl; he leaned over and groaned, "Ugh I hate that stuff." he commented at her studies.

"It's not that bad Ichi-Nii." she rolled her eyes and continued working, glancing up at him after a moment, she spoke with a hushed voice, "You've not been leaving the house so much at night... Has something happened?"

He blinked momentarily before snapping out of his surprise, Karin had confronted him about being a Shinigami five months ago, he still wasn't used to it, "Just the opposite... Nothing is happening at all."

"That should be a good thing right?"

"Mm... It would be if it didn't worry me." he shrugged it off and sat back, flashing a smile as Yuzu carried him over a hot cup of tea and a bowl of chicken noodles, "Thanks Yuzu, you're a star."

He ate his meal eagerly, his sister's cooking was forever improving, he slurped it down eagerly and quickly, thanked her for it and headed back up to his room with his hot drink. For the rest of the evening he worked on the assignment he had been given by his teacher.

It was nearly one in the morning by the time he got into bed, setting his alarm and settling under the toasty covers, he rolled over and faced the window, letting out a yelp of shock as he saw a face at the glass, he blinked and it was gone however, a frown settled on his face and he settled down more comfortably, closing his eyes and eventually falling into a restful sleep.

A scream pierced the night, and Ichigo bolted out of bed, stumbling in his disorientation and becoming knotted in his bedsheets.

_'That scream was from Yuzu's room!' _he thought in panic, untangling him self from his sheets before he ran towards his bedroom door as another scream echoed through the house, this time it was Karin and he began hearing a loud commotion from the girls' shared bedroom.

At the exact moment he was going to open his door, it flew open and knocked him back, a searing pain shooting through his skull from the impact; he covered the gash with his hand and looked up to see who was barging into his room. Though he couldn't make out a face from the darkly robed figure, he clearly saw blood splatter out in the hallway, there was a limp hand showing from around his bedroom door and panic set in.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" he roared, scrambling to his feet and grabbing his combat pass from his desk, he couldn't tell whether this person was human or something else at the moment but he couldn't be left unprotected.

He saw a flash of silver, a blade, coming towards him. Ichigo forced himself to relax, fighting was something he could deal with.

The strawberry side stepped and dodged what appeared to be a normal dagger; he then jumped back as his attacker lunged again, he ducked and rolled to the side, grabbing his bedsheets and throwing them at the person before him as he grabbed his desk chair and hit them with it as hard as he could.

His attacker crumpled on the floor and he panted gently, dropping the chair before he moved around the still form on the floor; he let out a sharp cry of shock as his ankle was grabbed and he was yanked down onto the floor.

Within seconds he realised his attack had been pretending to be unconscious and was now straddled over him, wrestling with his long arms to try and pin him down fully. He grunted slightly and attempted to throw the smaller person off him, his combat pass clattering to the floor in the scuffle. Ichigo let out a frustrated roar and suddenly head butted the other person, he could almost see the stars circling their head as they collapsed for a second time.

He doubled checked that they really were unconscious this time before grabbing his pass and running from the room, he stopped almost straight away as he saw the hand he had seen belonged to Isshin, bile rose in his mouth and he staggered back, his father's body had been completely mangled, it appeared Isshin had been attempting to protect the entrance to his son's room.

_'W... Why... Why wasn't he protecting the g-girls... Oh god the girls!' _Ichigo pushed himself away from the wall and forced himself to pass the corpse of his only remaining parent, blood spattered the walls of the hall and made him feel sick and faint at the same time.

The young man came to the door of his sister's room, it was already open, he slowly looked around the corner and let out a strangled wail, covered his mouth with his hands as he fell to his knees, his mind fracturing where he sat as he stared at the wreckage of their room, and of their bodies.

They had been viscously mutilated, almost completely ripped apart. His two beautiful little sisters.

A scream of rage and fury and insanity left his lips as his combat pass exploded in his hands, and his soul quite literally fell from his body; he stood up and balled his fists, grabbing handfuls of his hair as he stared with wide eyes and the evil in that room.

Without warning, a black film began to spread across his sclera, his irises turning brilliantly gold; his tanned skin turned the purest white, as his orange hair began to lose its vibrant colour. A howl left his lips as he began clawing at his chest, feeling like his heart was being ripped out physically as well as mentally and emotionally. Reiatsu began to flow out of him like ripples of black and red water, billowing around him and forming a cocoon around his body.

Everything turned quite at that point, the cocoon suspended Ichigo from the ceiling, having trapped him in a coma like state of protection against the outside world. It was at that moment a second black clad figure emerged from further down the hallway, drawing a dagger and attempting to cut into the cocoon, only to be tossed back by the strong thick substance protecting the one inside.

A curse left the lips of the killer as their counterpart lurched out of Ichigo's room holding their head. They stood together for a moment and shared a silent conversation through their eyes, the one who had tried to kill the strawberry nodded a few minutes later and descended on his abandoned body, intending to make it seem like he had died in their attack as intended.

Then they went to leave, treading blood into the carpet without a care in the world, plodding downstairs and heading for the front door they had entered through.

They never expected for someone to be waiting for them though. Someone who was very... Very... Pissed off...

_**A/N: That's it for the first chapter, please review if you think I should carry on with this ^^**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Eyes slowly began to open.

Heart slowly began to ache.

Head slowly began to throb.

Who was he?

What was his name?

When had he gone to sleep?

Why did he hurt so much?

Slowly sitting up, he looked around sluggishly, seeing white all around him. The walls, the door, the floor, the ceiling, the bedsheets, his skin. His skin?

It was a lethargic motion, but he began rubbing firmly at his skin, trying to wipe away the clinical colour of his skin. It was unfamiliar. It was new. He hated it. His eyes moved to the needle embedded in his arm, feeding him fluids of some kind, he was attached to a large drip hung beside the bed.

"Who am I?" he breathed, his voice soft, yet had an undercurrent of pain.

The door opposite him opened abruptly and he just looked around, apathetic and without interest, that was until he saw who he was looking at and his memories detonated in his head like an atomic bomb.

Blue. He saw blue. Flashes of blue wherever he looked, yet he'd never put two and two together.

He flew out of bed, the needle ripping from his arm as he grabbed the unsuspecting man around the throat and wrestled him to the floor, "IT WAS YOU! I KNOW IT WAS YOU! YOU DID THIS TO THEM! YOU MURDERER! THAT WAS MY FAMILY YOU SICK FUCK! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" he was screaming, his eyes coiled with hatred and untold levels of violence.

Someone grabbed him from behind and lifted him away, they were calmly telling him to calm down, to calm himself so things could be explained. But he couldn't he wanted to butcher the man who'd murdered his sisters. His sweet, innocent sisters.

A gasp left his lips suddenly and he stopped fighting, his eyes fixed on the orb being held in front of him, it was glowing, swirling with power, it was beautiful yet terrifying, calming yet tempestuous. He felt his anger and desire for murder ebb away and he suddenly slumped, panted softly as he watched long locks of orange hair fall down around his face.

"That's better... Grimmjow get up and get those cuts seen to before you bleed everywhere." the person holding Ichigo up spoke authoritatively and waited until the slightly stunned blue haired man had left before he guided the other back to the bed and lifted him up into it.

Ichigo's eyes lifted as he was put into bed and he looked surprised to see he was looking up into the face of Aizen Sousuke, he licked his lips and searched his face, looking for information before he spoke.

"I am truly sorry, Ichigo, the answer to your question is that yes... Everything that happened in your house was true." the brunette spoke softly, sitting on the edge of the bed, "But my people and I had nothing to do with it. Grimmjow, though a violent brute at times, did not murder them."

The small amount of hope he had left vanished at his words, he could taste the truth in the air and he let his head fall back onto the soft pillows, his mouth suddenly dry, "W... Who was it then?" he asked weakly.

Aizen hesitated for half a minute before letting out a breath, "Soul Society." he said in a single breath.

Ichigo's eyes widened and a sick feeling settled in his stomach, "N-No... No they wouldn't... They... They wouldn't..."

"Please try to stay calm Ichigo, I understand your distress but you are still in an unstable way. Take some breaths... I will try to explain as best I can." he murmured, patting one pale hand gently.

The strawberry laid back and did as he was told, inhaling and exhaling in a rhythm as he tried to maintain control, he wanted to freak out, to rip the room apart, to tear someone apart like his sisters had been... He closed his eyes as tears pricked them, no, he didn't want to tear anyone apart. No one deserved that.

"You have been growing in strength, at an almost uncontrollable rate. At first I have no doubt Soul Society saw this as a good thing, you would be an effective tool to use against me. But you have displayed such will power, such strength against authority that... They began to fear your power. If you ever found reason to turn on them you would be capable of completely destroying every last Shinigami..." Aizen sighed softly, "So, from my sources, a decision was made by Central 46, by Yamamoto to kill you before you became a threat."

Ichigo looked up at him slowly, "Then they should have killed me... But not... Not my family... They hadn't done anything wrong... They were innocent... My sisters... My... My sisters hadn't done anything..." he swallowed hard and fought to hold back his tears.

"Your entire family had Spiritual Energy. That made each and every one of them a threat."

He sucked in a breath at his words and shook his head, biting down on his lip hard, "No... No! They were not threats!" he exclaimed, "They were children! They were just... Just children... I... I never... I never even said goodnight to them... I just... Went to bed..." he looked at his hands and seemed to stare, "... Who was it? Who did they send to kill me? To kill... Us..."

Aizen watched him carefully and reached out, petting down some of the more unruly locks of hair, "Soi-Fon... And Unohana."

"Unohana!?" he gasped, suddenly looking at him, "I expected Soi-Fon... She's a cruel little bitch but... But... Unohana..." he shook his head, "I..."

"She is not what she appears to be, that woman has a history darker than even mine. I have no doubt she enjoyed what happened just as much as Soi-Fon." he said a little bitterly.

Ichigo closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands, his grief was great and his loss even greater, he had never felt so alone in his life, this was worse than the death of his mother, at least he had still had his dad and sisters, now he had no one.

"Where am I?" he asked after a moment.

"Hueco Mundo, I had Grimmjow bring you here to Las Noches, my home." Aizen reached out and made Ichigo look at him, "This is your home too now. If you wish to leave you may do so... But I must warn you that you can never become a human again, and you are no longer a Shinigami either."

"So basically if I leave I'm fucked?!" he exclaimed, slapping the other's hand away, "What did you do to me?! Did you plan to trap me here?!"

Aizen closed his eyes and let out a breath, he hated being sworn at, "I did not." he said firmly, "What has been done to you, had already begun before Grimmjow arrived."

"And what exactly has been done to me?! What am I?!" he yelled, sitting up in bed as his anger flared, "Why was Grimmjow there anyway?! He had been following me hadn't he! I kept seeing flashes of blue! It was him! Wasn't it?!"

The door opened suddenly and the man in question walked in, the scratched Ichigo had given him were already little more than red lines on his face, he looked remarkably calm, "Yeah, kid, I was following you. And before you get your little panties in a twist, it wasn't to do evil and perverse things to you either! I was there because we knew the attack was coming, and I was there to try and protect you."

"Well you did a SHIT job didn't you!"

"You think I don't already know that?!" he barked, silencing Ichigo, "I might have failed at a lot of things in my life, but I will never be able to forgive myself for not saving your kid sisters. Believe it or not I have morals! And hurting kids is never okay! I would have protected them! But another Shinigami had been following me and tackled me as I tried to move in on your house, I managed to knock him out and then when I reached you... They were already dead. The only thing I could do was get you out of there..."

The strawberry looked down and curled some of his hair around his fingers, "I don't remember you getting there..." he commented.

"Yeah well... You were doing weird shit when I found you." he muttered, cracking his neck muscles.

Aizen interrupted when he saw Ichigo about to retort, "What Grimmjow means is that your inner world fractured because of the mental and emotional trauma you experienced. That means that you and your inner world were no longer separated, so your Hollow began to merge with you."

"So... Shiro started trying to take control at that moment? I knew he was a bastard but that's low..."

He was momentarily taken aback that Ichigo had named his inner Hollow but shook it off, "Not at all. He didn't have any say in the matter. When the wall between your Hollow and yourself breaks down there is an instant bond that neither party can control. For example when you pour milk into a cup of tea, the two blend instantly yes?"

Ichigo nodded slowly, finally beginning to understand somewhat, "I get it."

"When I found you, you were suspended from the ceiling in a cocoon of hardened Reiatsu, it was protecting you and anaesthetising you as you made the transformation from human, to Shinigami, to Hollow." Grimmjow picked up where he had left off, "You were basically like a butterfly. So I cut you down and carried you here. None of us have ever seen anything like it before."

"So I'm a Hollow now?"

"Yes." Aizen murmured, "You are an Arrancar. Humanoid in appearance, the same as Grimmjow, and the other Espada you have met before."

"That's why I can't hear Shiro anymore?" he asked.

"Exactly, the two of you are now one. You may still, at times, get a sense of what he would do rather than what you would do, like when you change your mind over things, but it will appear more natural now." the brunette told him.

He nodded and laid back slowly, looking at his snow white skin and long hair, he felt sick. And he felt lonely. Heck he would have even been glad to have a cuddle with Kon at that moment in time.

Aizen cleared his throat and stood up, "I'm afraid I must attend to a few things now, Ichigo, but Grimmjow will stay with you for a while, if you have any further questions, or need anything, just ask him." he rested a hand on the other's shoulder for a moment before he left the room, the door swinging shut with a meaningful click.

Grimmjow shuffled and finally sat down in the chair beside the bed, he looked at Ichigo and smiled weakly, "I'm pretty sure you want to batter me still for lettin' you down... And that's fine. But I've got your back now, so you can get some more sleep if you want, I won't let anyone near you now. Its gonna to be all right."

Ichigo looked at him a little sceptically, "Like I'd trust anyone of you." he muttered and turned his back on him.

He snorted, "And to think I called you an idiot." he scoffed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

A week later, Ichigo was allowed to leave the infirmary, Grimmjow had barely left his side for seven days and nights, a silent companion, providing company perhaps just to keep him sane. Ichigo both appreciated and loathed the presence of the Espada.

As they were walking down one of a thousand brilliantly white corridors, the strawberry haired male looked over at the blue haired one and let out a sigh, "Do I finally get to see how different I look then?" he asked.

"It's your choice, if you want to look in a bloody mirror you look in one." he shrugged, "I don't think you look that different really, just a bit pale and... Muscular."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the description he was given and looked at him sceptically, "Seriously? That's the best you can do?" he shook his head and looked ahead again, "Pale and muscular."

"Oh shut up. I think I preferred the silent treatment."

Ichigo chuckled gently, though it lacked any true feeling of humour, and continued walking, following Grimmjow as he was led towards his new room, which would become his home. He had been trying not to think about what had happened, it was simply too painful, and thinking about what was going to become of him in the future was also too painful. He had nothing left to fight for now, the only reason he had ever taken Rukia's powers, and unleashed his own was to protect his family. And now they were...

Grimmjow looked around sharply as he felt Ichigo's Reiatsu quiver and flare, instantly staggering under the immense weight, "H-Hey... Calm down..." he said, reaching out and resting a hand on the other's shoulder, "Come on, you don't want to level the building, Aizen will be pissed off..."

"Get off me!" he barked, slapping the hand away from him, "You do not touch me! I don't care how pissed off anyone gets."

The blue haired Espada fell silent and simply stared, seeing those chestnut brown irises turn gold against his snow white skin, he felt a slight stirring in his stomach, inwardly deciding that the newest addition to their dysfunctional family was quite the looker.

Moments later, his eyes returned to normal, Ichigo slumped against the wall panting, "Sorry... I'm sorry..." he murmured, covering his face with a hand as he trembled slightly, "Fuck this is going to take some getting used to..."

"You were always strong, without much control over your power... Surely it isn't so different?" Grimmjow asked curiously.

Ichigo shot him a look, "It is very different. I never had to juggle that power with the instincts of wanting to kill everything that moves... Shiro dealt with that side of things..."

A smile tickled the Espada's lips, "Heh, just like a cute little kitten huh? Wanting to chase everything and kill it? Cute..."

"I am not cute."

"You are."

"Not." he growled.

"Suit yourself~" Grimmjow let out a low chuckle of amusement and gestured to the snow white door marked with a single black and red flame emblem, "This is your room."

Ichigo decided to let go of the 'cute' topic as he appraised the door, he was hesitant to enter but finally reached out and turned the gold door knob, pushing the door open and taking some small steps inside.

It was not what he had expected. He had pictured more white walls and insanely pure furniture to match. The white was all a bit much for him to be honest, it made him think of the outfit Rukia had worn for her execution. Just another event Yamamoto had been too happy to take part in.

However, room was warm with tones of dark autumn orange and red wallpaper; a coffee brown couch seated in front of a large plasma screen television mounted on the wall; a mocha brown carpet separated from the couch by a circular orange rug. There were pictures on the wall, pictures that were of his family, of Yuzu; Karin; his mother and father; it both warmed and chilled his heart. There was a dark wood bookshelf, stacked neatly with some of his favourite novels, a coffee table with a small vase of red lilies in the centre.

It was a peaceful, warm, welcoming room which put him at ease and made him feel somewhat more comfortable in his surroundings.

"This is incredible..." he breathed, taking a few more steps into the room.

"I'm glad you like it." Grimmjow commented, coming to stand beside him, "I was able to rescue the photographs from your home when got you... There are some more in your bedroom. I hope you don't mind."

Ichigo looked at the Espada in surprise, "Did you do this?" he asked.

"No. Of course not." he scoffed, "I got my Fraccion to do it." he added gruffly.

"I..." he swallowed, "Thanks."

Grimmjow shrugged off the praise but a small smile was barely visible on his features, "Would you like to explore the rest alone?" he asked.

"A little time to myself would be... Nice... Not that I'm not grateful..."

"I understand. My room is two doors down, blue cat on the door. Hard to miss." he waved a hand and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ichigo let out a long breath as he was left alone. The instant silence was deafening. He clapped his hands together restlessly and slowly roamed through the apartment, finding the rest of the rooms, his bedroom was coloured darkly with rich red and cream shades with furnishings of the same colours; the kitchen was big enough for about three people to work in, it was fresh and clean decorated with pale yellow tones.

He found the bathroom lastly, and was shocked when he came face to face with his own reflection in the full body mirror against the wall. His mouth fell ajar and he swallowed hard, his eyes welling up slightly.

The newly born Hollow, had waist length orange hair, his fringe just hanging towards his eyes while the rest flared like a lion's mane; his eyes were more almond shaped, the chestnut brown irises were brighter and had a glow to them that had not been present before; his face was more angular, more defined, like he had been stripped of his teenage appearance and thrust into the body of a fully grow man, his skin was pearly white, like alabaster or snow, this shocked him most of all, as he had been so used to his tan skin tone as a human. He was taller, his muscles more defined, but not overpowering, they were still subtle; his eyes travelled down and he saw that his body seemed slightly more curved, his hips and waist were a little wider, giving a gentle feminine appearance to him. He saw a band of bone like structure above his right eye and felt it gently, it was as hard as rock and seemed fused to his body; he realised with a jolt this was the remnants of his Hollow Mask, like Grimmjow had the teeth and jaw on his face.

He licked his lips lightly, "Shiro what the hell did you do to me?" he muttered, looking down at his hands and sighing, he ran a hand through the tufty lengths of hair atop of his head, and then began to unbutton his shirt, he wanted a bath. He needed to try and wash away the grime of death and loss that clung to him.

His fingers slipped as he reached the centre button, his collar falling to the side to reveal a thick black mark on his chest, over his heart, in a flash a slightly crazed grin stretched his lips and a dark chuckle escaped him, "Well someone has a sense of fucking humour." he growled.

Grimmjow folded his arms as he stood on the balcony of his apartment, looking out over the sands as the midday sun hung in the artificial sky of the palace; he let out a sigh as he recalled the night he had saved Ichigo. Though he considered the term lightly, he may have saved the soul but the mind was another matter entirely. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

_Grimmjow kicked the door in and came face to face with two Shinigami, one was short and lithe, the other was tall and had the curves of a more developed woman. He crouched slightly and growled like the animal he was, watching as they both flinched in shock; he snarled as the scent of fresh blood reached his heightened nostrils, the lack of sound and movement in the house disturbed him and made him think the worst._

_He lunged, drawing his zanpakutō at the same time and swiping it around in a powerful arc flourishing blue and white light at the two assassins, taking the opportunity while they were distracted he flew up the stairs and came to a stop as his mouth fell open and his eyes widened, seeing the two bodies in the hallway before his eyes were drawn upwards to the cocoon dangling from the ceiling._

"_What the fuck?!" he exclaimed, looking around and swearing as he sensed the Shinigami fleeing the scene, he also sensed a large group of humans heading their way. He knew that while he would be invisible to them he needed to get the cocoon out of the house in case the being within it woke and caused devastation._

_He took a breath and glanced around as he smelled young innocent blood, his expression turning sorrowful as he saw the Kurosaki's two youngest members in the other room, it was no longer a surprise to him that Ichigo had gone through such a painful process. He couldn't begin to imagine the emotional trauma._

_Grimmjow scaled the wall easily and began hacking at the topmost of the cocoon to let it drop to the floor, it took several long minutes and a large proportion of his Reiatsu before the sack finally came loose; he jumped down and caught it, watching as the cocoon slowly unravelled and revealed the creature within._

_His eyes grew wide and his breath was taken away at the sight of him, alabaster skin and long rippling hair, angular features and smooth complexion. He was an angel in hell, "Let's get you out of here, to somewhere safer." he whispered, trying to sooth the tremulous Reiatsu surging within the other man, "It will be okay." _

_On the way out, the Espada grabbed as many of Ichigo's personal belongings as he could without drawing attention and flew through a Garganta, surprised when he was met inside by Aizen and Szayel._

"_What happened Grimmjow?" the brunet male asked as they began their journey back through to Las Noches, Szayel was already fussing over the unconscious male in his usual medical way, "I thought you were protecting them."_

"_A Shinigami attacked me, I was distracted by the fight... By the time I reached the house it was too late. I am sorry Aizen-sama... The rest of the household had been butchered, the Shinigami tore apart his human body as well, his soul has no way back... He is trapped." he answered, speaking swiftly to deliver his report, "I am sorry for my failure."_

"_It it not me you will need to apologise to." _

_Grimmjow caught the look of mild sadness in his master's eyes and then lowered his head, looking down at the man in his arms, "He is really something right? Making the transformation on his own like that..."_

"_Indeed, in most cases the subject would have destroyed their own soul by leaping from plus soul to Arrancar." Szayel chuckled softly, "But what more can be expected on Aizen-sama's greatest treasure?"_

"_Do no refer to him in that manner Szayel. The last thing we need now is for him to awaken and feel like a spare part. He must be integrated into the family now, among the other Arrancar... Among the Espada."_

"_The Espada?" Grimmjow asked, instantly worrying for his number._

"_I have long been displeased with the way Yammy portrays himself... I think it is time to separate him from the position of the Cero Espada..." he stroked his chin in thought, "Do you think he would take it badly?"_

"_Are you kidding? He'll be murderous!" Szayel exclaimed, "Please! Not near my laboratory Aizen! The last time he went on a rampage he destroyed __**everything**__!"_

_Grimmjow raised his eyebrows and chuckled weakly, "I would agree with Pinkie, he would likely be murderous."_

"_Pinkie?!"_

_Aizen sighed, "I see, well I have no choice, when we return I will be lessening his power, he will remain the tenth Espada, but the position of Cero will fall to our new family member..." he glanced down at Ichigo, his expression was somewhere between caring and malice._

Grimmjow let out a breath as he snapped out of his memories, he had stayed with them while Aizen used to Hogyuku to boost Ichigo's Reiatsu that little bit higher, and while he was marked as the Cero. The tattoo, or mark, was on his breast above his heart, a fitting place in Grimmjow's eyes, as this was a man who fought with his heart, now he would have all the power in the world to fight for what he loved, and no one to stop him.

He rubbed his forehead and closed the balcony doors as he retreated into his room, stuffing his hands into his pockets, he glanced towards the mirror opposite him and frowned faintly, "Committing such sins against innocent children... Even as a Hollow I can't forgive that." he murmured under his breath.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**** I am only going to say this once, I have had some revolting comments about this story being a yaoi one, but I'm not going to change it, I am a yaoi writer and I write for my own entertainment as well as the entertainment as others, so if you have a problem with the path this story is taking please bow out graciously, without sending me disgusting messages calling me a "fag writer" I am bisexual so a comment like that is extremely offensive to me and I will not hesitate to report anyone who starts being vile because they dislike yaoi. Thank you kindly to everyone reading and reviewing, if this story is up your street please continue to enjoy and you have my esteemed thanks for your support.**

**Chapter Four: **

There was a hole. There was a hole in his gut. There was a mother-fucking Hollow hole going straight through his mother-fucking gut!

Ichigo was sat on the edge of the bathtub, having begun to get undressed only to discover the abnormality and become curious, it wasn't painful and it didn't feel any different than before, it felt like the hole wasn't even there... But it clearly was there. He could see it. There was a hole in his gut!

He took a breath and gently ran his finger around the edge of the hole, it felt kind of weird, like a warm tingling sensation. He tilted his head to the side and slowly slid a finger into the abyss, stroking around the blackened innards curiously, his face going slightly read as he realised the sensations caused by the action were causing him to become aroused, his pants growing tighter. He pulled his hand back and wriggled slightly as he looked at the lump in his pants, sighing softly before he turned the water on in the bath and watched the tub fill.

He was in no mood for pleasure, the deaths of his family weighed heavily in his mind, too heavily for him to simply forget. Grief, anger, hatred and murder burned in his heart, he wanted Soi-Fon and Unohana dead at his feet, with looks of pure fear on their faces. And then Yamamoto. He didn't care if every Shinigami in Soul Society came to fear him, he would kill the Head Captain in front of his Gotei 13 what real power and instinct was.

A low growl escaped his throat and he was drawn to the sound of bones cracking, realising to his surprise that he had balled his fist so tightly his knuckles had popped out of their joints. He looked at them with disinterest as he watched his high speed regeneration heal them and sighed, turning off the water and checking the temperature. It was just right.

He removed his remaining clothes and sank into the water, letting out a gasp as the water flooded the hole in his mid-section, creating a wonderfully calming sensation throughout his body. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, reclining and determined to find some small shred of inner peace so he could finally talk with Zangetsu.

_There was a flooded city, with only a few rays of light trickling through the dense water, it was murky and not overly pleasant. Ichigo stood atop a sky scraper, looking around curiously at the new state of his Inner World._

"_Huh... Guess this transformation fucked everything up..." he scratched his head in thought and shrugged it off, walking around the rooftop, searching for the perch upon which his zanpakutō usually stood, "Hey, Old Man, where are you?" he called out, his long hair rippling around him like fire in the water._

_He turned abruptly and caught a blade between his hands, his eyes narrowed as he looked into the face of his zanpakutō, "Heh, there you are."_

"_Ichigo?" the tall middle aged male said in surprise, retracting his sword immediately and standing straight, "I began to believe our connection had been forever severed. What happened? Why do you look and smell like a Hollow?"_

_He raised an eyebrow, "Y-You don't know what happened? Zangetsu where have you been hiding?" he exclaimed._

"_I have not been hiding. Sometime ago I ceased to be able to hear you, all I recall was an enormous feeling of loss, and then the rain came. It came like never before. We were lashed by terrible storms, lightening and thunder, the floods... Ichigo the floods... What happened to you, boy?"_

_He faltered as he realised the other man really had no clue and felt his throat tighten, "We were betrayed." he breathed._

"_Betrayed?"_

"_By the Shinigami... Yamamoto..." his gaze fell to the floor, "They are dead, Old Man... My family... They were killed... And there was nothing I could do... In my grief I... I became a Hollow. I'm sorry... I-I let you down... I let Shiro win..."_

_Zangetsu frowned faintly and rested a hand on the other's shoulder, "I don't think you let anyone down. As powerful and wilful as you are... You cannot bring miracles. It sounds as though you and Shiro became one, in which case, neither of you won or lost. You simply because one. I am proud of you. Even now you still have the will to fight. And I will remain with you until the very end. Remain strong Ichigo, listen to your heart. You still have friends."_

_The strawberry looked up at him and nodded, he was right, there were people in Soul Society he cared about, people in the World of the Living he cared about, and right now they all believed he was dead, "I know what I have to do." he said firmly._

"_Good boy. Remember, I am only an arm's reach away." Zangetsu nodded to him and walked backwards, slowly vanishing from sight._

Ichigo gasped as he was yanked out of the water forcefully and struggled, throwing some punches and kicks before he saw a flicker of blue and shook his head, "Grimmjow?! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Me?! What are you doing?! I came to check on you and you're trying to drown yourself!" the other man yelled angrily, "I could kill you!"

"What?! I wasn't drowning you idiot! I was talking to Zangetsu!" he barked, slapping his hands away and blushing as he realised he was naked, he grabbed a towel and covered himself, "You moron! Get out so I can dry off!"

Grimmjow looked started before he scurried out swiftly, clearly not desiring to annoy the other any more than he already had. Ichigo tutted and stood up, wiping the water from his face before he dried off, rolling his eyes at how stupid Grimmjow had been, as if he would try to drown himself.

A few minutes later, Ichigo left the bathroom, closing the door and walking into bedroom with a towel around his waist; Grimmjow was seated on the couch sheepishly, clearly expecting to be scolded for his brashness, though inwardly he was relaying every inch of the body he had just witness, wet and warm from the water, with hair sticking to his face and pearly skin.

_'Oh... Boner...'_ he cleared his throat and adjusted his hakama so the rod between his legs was better hidden.

Ichigo emerged from the bathroom moments later, wearing a purple jumper and dark blue jeans, "I'm not suicidal, okay?" running his hands through his hair, tried to remove the knots from the lengthy waves.

The blue haired male seemed sceptical for a moment and folded his arms, "Look, you just went through a horror story and ended up here... No one would blame you for being a bit suicidal."

"I am not suicidal. And what's more... I have a purpose!" he said, clenching his fist in determination, "I am going to teach them a lesson for what they did to me! My friends all think I am dead because of them! Well I am going to show them all just how dead I am!" he spat, "And then watch them tremble with fear when I rip their heads from their shoulders!"

"This isn't like you, the Kurosaki I know would show compassion to his enemy, no matter what they had done to you or your loved ones." he argued.

"I'm not that person anymore." he growled, looking at him with pure malice in his eyes, "That person is dead and gone. And I intend to make them pay for what they did."

"At the cost of the respect and love of your friends?!"

"Yes! If I have to!" he barked, "I will not sit back and allow them to believe they have won! I have never backed away from a fight and I do not intent to begin now! I don't need your permission!"

"No, but you do need mine." a smooth voice said from the doorway.

Ichigo looked around sharply and took a breath as he saw Aizen standing quite calmly there, "And why is that? Am I your prisoner now?"

"Do not be ridiculous." the brunet chuckled, walking forwards slowly, "I simply refer to the fact that no Garganta into or out of this realm can be opened without my knowledge, and they can all be closed manually... By me if I see fit. Grimmjow has experienced this on more than one occasion, it is unpleasant."

"So I am a prisoner!"

"No, prisoners are not granted permission to leave, if I deem your task wise I will allow you to leave." he reasoned, "At the moment my answer is no. You are too erratic, you also have no idea how to use your Hollow powers, you'd die in minutes, huge Reiatsu or not."

He ground his teeth, "If you doubted me then why did you give me this?!" he roared, yanking his shirt up and revealing the large Gothic zero on his chest.

"Because I have faith that you will grow into the role. You were not born into it. Your strength is not yet at its pique, you must continue to fight and grow stronger Ichigo, is that not what you have always done?"

"You tell me, you are the one who's watched me my whole life!"

Aizen closed his eyes and took a breath, "This is pointless. Ichigo, I will personally assist you in learning to use your Hollow powers, it will take some time, but by the end of it... I give you my most solemn word, I will grant you access to Soul Society, and put you in charge of as many Espada as you desire to take with you. Do you agree to these terms?"

Ichigo stared for several moments as those words washed over him, he swallowed, his anger quelling steadily before he sighed softly and looked away, he stared out of the window before his gaze was caught by the family photo hanging nearby, it was the last picture to have been taken with all members of the Kurosaki family in it, just weeks before his mother had died.

"I... Agree to your terms. Please train me, if I am going to extract revenge I need to be strong enough to see it through." he decided finally, looking at Aizen, "But don't you dare go easy on me!"

He smirked slightly and chuckled, "Oh I wouldn't dream of it. We will begin in an hour. Grimmjow, take him to the arena and get him kitted out ready for training."

"... Yes Aizen-sama." the Espada nodded slightly before looking at Ichigo, "You're even more fiery than I thought Strawberry."

The new born Arrancar looked around slowly, his eyes narrowed, "What did you call me?! You fucking Blueberry!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Ichigo smiled triumphantly as he watched Grimmjow nurse his bloody lip while they walked to the training arena, he was still somewhat amazed by how huge the palace was, Las Noches was almost like a city unto itself.

"How come I haven't seen any of the other Espada yet?" he asked curiously, looking around the deserted corridor.

"Aizen-sama told them to stay in their designated areas until you were more comfortable with your surroundings, he wasn't sure how you'd react to being surrounded by Espada and Hollows." the Sixth replied shortly, finally stemming the blood flow.

He raised an eyebrow at that, "Huh... He's been much nicer than he was when I first met him."

"Yeah well, you were enemies when you first met." he muttered, "Besides, you shouldn't think too much on it, he's still a bastard when you piss him off. Trust me."

"Heh, bad boy are you?" the redhead smirked and looked at him from the corner of his eye.

Grimmjow flashed a wicked grin, "Got a problem with it?"

"No. Sounds fun." he grinned right back at him before looking ahead as they entered the training room.

His mouth fell open as he looked at the huge, amazing room, on the far side there was a selection of exercise equipment, ranging from weights to treadmills, it was separated from the rest of the room by a sheet of glass; the rest of the room was made up of rest benches and a large circular arena in the middle of the room, Aizen was already stood in the centre, he wasn't wearing his usual white uniform, instead he was wearing an all in one suit, almost like a wet suit, it was light and durable, made from a special material Szayel had created.

"Ah you're here, excellent, the changing room is through that door, Grimmjow, help him." the brunet instructed.

Ichigo was led through the door on the left into a slightly smaller room, there were lockers and some benches, as well as a huge wardrobe on the far wall; Grimmjow went straight to this and opened it, revealing more outfits like Aizen was wearing.

After a moment of looking through them, the Espada pulled out one which would fit the strawberry, walking over and handing it to him, "You'll need some help getting into these the first few times, they are a little tricky. Strip off."

He nodded calmly as he spoke before he stopped and went red, "What do you mean strip off?!"

"This suits channel Reiatsu, but for a clear and efficient current it has to be close to the skin, so you can't wear clothes under it. So strip off. Come on are you shy? You haven't got anything I haven't got."

Ichigo grumbled slightly and pulled his shirt off over his head folding it and putting it on the bench, he kicked off his trainers and unbuckled his belt before sliding his trousers down as well. He folded his arms bashfully and refused to look at Grimmjow.

The blue haired male, secretly, quite enjoyed the display, he watched as each area of that toned body was revealed from under those sinful bits of material, he licked his lips and smirked, "Boxers as well."

"What?! No way!" he protested, "No!"

"Yes~"

He growled and went as red as a tomato as he leaned down and removed the last article of clothing, covering himself shyly. Grimmjow then began to help him into the body suit, chuckling inwardly at how bashful the other was, so innocent.

The blue haired male stood back finally and zipped the suit shut, "There we go." he murdered, looking him over, "Right, put these boots on and then you are ready to go. I'll put your stuff in one of the lockers so its safe."

"All right, thanks." Ichigo murmured, sitting down so he could pull on the calf high boots; he tied them shut and stood back up, blinking as Grimmjow suddenly grabbed his hair, firmly but not enough to hurt, "Ow what are you doing?"he asked.

"If you go out there with all this hair hanging lose Aizen will use it to his advantage. Hold still... I'm not gonna cut it..." he muttered as the redhead struggled slightly, he smiled as Ichigo then stilled and began tying his mass of super soft hair into a lose braid to keep it out of his way, "There we go." he said as he finished, stepping back.

The younger man reached around and felt his hair, shaking his head a little to test how well it was secured before he smiled, "Thanks." he turned around and smiled at the other, "Shall we go?"

Grimmjow was momentarily stunned by that smile, staring at him before snapping out of it, "Sure," he nodded, leading him back out of the changing room and into the main hall, "All right, up you go, good luck."

Ichigo thanked him before he climbed up into the arena ring, walking towards Aizen, "I want some ground rules... We both know I'm possibly one of the only people to have never seen your zanpakutō and its power. I want to keep it that way."

"And why is that?" the brunet asked.

"I went into this entire mess with my eyes closed, but they are open now and I never want anything to close them again." he said, clenching his fist, "Is it a deal?"

"I can understand your reasons... Very well." he closed his eyes, "We shall be using staves at the moment anyway, I don't want to destroy the palace after all, that would be... Troublesome."

Ichigo nodded and removed his zanpakutō from his back, placing it just outside of the ring before he was throw a wooden stave; he blinked in surprise as it sapped some of his Reiatsu and transformed to look exactly like Zangetsu.

"Ah yes, another of Szayel's creations. The staves are specially designed to 'taste' its wielder's Reiatsu and shift to suit their usual requirements. Only you cannot use your normal abilities and this sword has no soul." Aizen explained as the stave he was holding did the exact same thing.

"Huh... This Szayel guy sounds pretty smart." he commented.

"A genius, if you don't mind." a voice said from the doorway.

The Cero Espada looked around with raised eyebrows and appraised the new arrival, a candy cotton pink haired man with white spectacles and narrowed golden eyes, there was a smug smile on his face as he brushed some of his hair behind his ear.

"Szayel Aporro Granz, at your service." he took a bow before walking closer, "I am here to oversee the training exercises to assess your strength and fitness, I trust this is not a problem?"

Ichigo took a moment, trying to work out whether or not he liked this Espada, "No, its no problem. Pleasure to meet you." he smiled weakly.

"Likewise I am sure. I will be out of the way, merely continue as though I was not here at all." he pushed his glasses up his nose, an action with distinctly reminded Ichigo of Ishida, and he chuckled softly under his breath, amused by the similarity.

Grimmjow watched from the edge of the ring, being joined by Szayel moments later, "Nice entrance."

"I aim to please you know." he purred, winking at the other, "Say, Grimm, do you fancy dropping by the lab later on today? Its been so long since you've been there I'd almost forgotten what you Reiatsu felt like."

The blue haired male cringed inwardly as one of the scientist's gloved hands slid down his arm in an affectionate manner, "I can't today Pinkie, I've got a pile of stuff to work my way through... Maybe another time." he said stiffly.

A pout appeared on the pink haired man's face, "Well... If you are sure I cannot tempt you. And please do stop calling my that ridiculous name, its so... Cheap."

Ichigo couldn't quite work out why he was so glad to hear Grimmjow refuse the offer, and decided categorically he did not like Szayel. He glanced over at the pair, growling inwardly as he saw the pink haired man's hand still Grimmjow's arm but shook his head, trying to remove the splinter of jealousy and possessiveness he felt.

"Are you ready?" Aizen asked calmly from opposite him.

"I was born ready." he answered before they moved towards each other in a flash.

Reiatsu clashed throughout the room, matched by the clanging of blades and the friction sparks of metal on metal as the two males fought in the ring, they were by no means evenly matched, Aizen was holding back somewhat so he didn't crush the other, and Ichigo was pushing out everything he had, using all the knowledge he had amassed through prior battles to engage the enemy.

For some reason he didn't feel as strong as he had done as a Shinigami, he felt like there was something missing, he wanted to pull on his Hollow Mask, but he knew it wouldn't work anymore, not now he and Shiro were one.

He felt multiple bruises sprouting over his body from the hits he had already received, Aizen was like an impenetrable fortress, he could barely get a single hit on him. He was fast, strong and intelligent, and he suddenly understood a little better why the Espada remained in line, this was a man capable of quashing anyone in front of him. And Soul Society had believe he, Ichigo, could stop Aizen? He was suddenly a little glad he was on the man's side.

His eyes widened as Aizen suddenly moved and in a flash he hit the floor, grunting from the force of the strike. Ichigo, held his side and gritted his teeth, the suit had protected him from the blow but another bruise was guaranteed.

Suddenly unsure of the purpose of this entire fight, he got back to his feet, "I thought you were going to teach me." he called.

"I am teaching you."

"What? All you've done is knock me around so far!"

"You said yourself you learn in battle, it is up to you what you decide to study however." Aizen's words were subtle and cryptic and infuriated the strawberry.

Ichigo flew at him again, ducking the first two counter moves as he correctly predicted their path, before he was taken out by a harsh kick in the gut, he groaned as he hit the floor again, sorely reminded of training with Renji.

He frowned as he thought of his friend, the Vice Captain had laughed off his complaints about not learning anything in their training, stating that he was teaching him to continue getting up. He hadn't understood at the time but suddenly it made sense. A warrior was no good if they took a hit and went down straight away. It wasn't about stamina, it was about physique and willpower.

With a breath, Ichigo picked himself up and took a hold of the fake Zangetsu once more, he turned and faced Aizen, his expression different than before, more determined, more adult. He sucked in a breath to calm himself before he ran forwards, at the last minute beginning to flash-step, darting around at the speed of light to disorientate his foe, he gritted his teeth and pushed faster, gradually created mimics of himself, surrounding Aizen before his true self appeared out of no where, the blade of his sword going clean through the other man's shoulder as he let out a roar, his Reiatsu soaring in response. Aizen's eyes widened momentarily as he saw a flicker of gold in his irises.

The stave in his hands returned to being a carved piece of wood and he saw that he had not truly harmed the other man, he was somewhat relieved about that. He took several steps back and let out a long breath, "How was that?" he asked wearily, wiping his forehead clean of sweat.

"Impressive. But sloppy, had we truly been fighting I would have killed you several times already. Remember Ichigo, even in training every fight counts." he smiled slightly before exiting the ring and walking over to Szayel and Grimmjow.

Ichigo watched him go and remained on the spot, shaking his head a little as his vision blurred, "Huh... Must be tired or something..." he muttered before he followed after the brunet.

Grimmjow had his arms folded and was leaning against the wall, his eyes were closed as he listened to the conversation between Aizen and Szayel.

"... I can get you the results by tomorrow evening, but no sooner than that I'm afraid, its going to take some time to analyse if you want an accurate answer." the scientist spoke exasperatedly glancing at the tablet in his hands, "Even I am not good enough to just look at these charts and understand what just happened."

"Huh? What do you mean what just happened?" Ichigo asked, running a hand through the shorter locks of hair on top of his head.

Szayel tensed for a moment and watched Aizen nod in confirmation before he spoke, "In those last few moments you emitted a huge amount of Reiatsu without warning, and without building it up like you would normally have to."

"So?" he frowned.

"So, that isn't how it is done." the other said sharply, "Everyone knows you have to build up your Reiatsu to let it out explosively. But you didn't. Yours just appeared. Like that." he snapped his fingers together, "And when it did, it was collectively more powerful than all the Espada put together."

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly, "Wow, that much huh? I did feel kind of weak in the fight, I didn't feel like I was as strong as I was when I was a Shinigami..."

"Really?" the pink haired man asked, making a note of it on the electronic pad he was nursing, "Interesting, I will have to keep that in mind while doing my analysis."

"So you think there is a problem?" he asked as he removed his braid, feeling his hair ripple down around his shoulders and back.

"Not necessarily a problem... At the moment you are just different."

"Ugh story of my life." he muttered and walked off towards the changing rooms.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

Ichigo woke from the sound of screaming, sitting up in his bed with sweat soaking his skin, his eyes slack and his face fallen as he realised it had been a nightmare, or a memory; he looked down at his hands. They were shaking.

He looked up as he heard a knock at his front door and he sighed, climbing out of bed and glancing at the clock as he pulled on his dressing gown. It was four in the morning. He sighed heavily again and walked through to the living room before he opened the front door, looking surprised to see Grimmjow stood there.

"You all right?" he asked, concern clear in his face and tone, "I heard you screaming... I thought something had happened..."

The younger man almost curled up and died from embarrassment, but cleared his throat instead, "Sorry Grimmjow. I was asleep, it was just a nightmare." he explained, "I didn't mean to worry you, or be that loud."

Realisation came over the other's expression and he nodded, "Oh don't sweat it. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather not, no offence, but I don't trust myself to stay calm if I talk about it." he sighed softly, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Well I have nothing better to do so I can stay and talk about random stuff until you want to sleep again, if you want me to?" he offered nonchalantly.

Ichigo hesitated, not wanting to impose but also not wanting to be alone, "I... If you are sure you don't want to sleep yourself?"

"Nah, I suffer insomnia." he waved it off and walked into the room, sitting down on the couch, "Go make some hot chocolate or something then. Man you are an awful host..."

He blinked before smiling slightly, "Right!" he said as he headed into the kitchen, he was glad he wasn't alone right now, he might not have stayed sane otherwise. He put some milk in a pan and began to warm it as he prepared the chocolate powder in two mugs, his body ached from his training session, bruises covered his skin, but were already beginning to heal.

The youth poured the hot milk into the mugs and stirred them until the drinks were ready, he then headed back through to the other room and sat beside the blue haired man.

"Here."

"Thanks." Grimmjow took the mug and inhaled, "Mm nice."

"You actually like hot chocolate?"

"I'm part cat, we like milky, creamy stuff." he retorted.

"Huh... Do all Arrancar have an animal representation then?" he asked curiously, turning to face Grimmjow as he folded his legs up and got comfortable.

"Yeah, everyone that I know of anyway. You will have one too, though it may take a while to figure out what it is." the blue haired Hollow answered before sipping the steamy drink.

"Huh... So... Grimm-Kitty... Cute..." he smirked.

"Don't even go there..."

They sat in silence for several long minutes, sipping at their drinks and merely content with not being alone. Finally, though, Ichigo asked the question which had been bothering him.

"So... You and Szayel have a history then?" he inquired, trying not to seem too interested.

"Ugh, I don't think it can be called a 'history' Ichigo." the blue hired male rolled his eyes and glanced at him, he was inwardly pleased that the other was showing an interest in his love life, though this was one chapter he would have preferred not to venture into.

"Oh? It sounded like something earlier on in the arena..." he probed.

Grimmjow let out a grunt and then looked at him, "Do you really want to know that badly?"

Ichigo hesitated, "Um... I'm just curious, its not like I need to know if you don't want to share..." he stumbled over his words a little under that gaze, it was so serious and calm. Very unlike Grimmjow.

He let out a huff and finished his drink, setting the mug down before he crossed his legs loosely and slung his arms over the back of the couch, well aware that one of his hands was close to Ichigo's shoulders and slender neck.

"I'll tell you, just don't complain to me if you regret your curiosity afterwards..." he muttered, "We had a thing. Well... It was more of a fling than a thing..."

"A fling..."

"Don't interrupt. I'm only going through this once..." he held up a hand to cut Ichigo off, "We've all been alive a long time in Hueco Mundo, I think the youngest of us is at least one hundred years old... And for most of that time we were rampant Hollows, the only instinct was to fight, to feed and to live. As an Adjuchas some of our other more primal instincts are returned to us, like comradeship and communication... And eventually lust..."

"An army of horny Hollows sounds kind of scary..." Ichigo mused before apologising for interrupting and going quiet again.

"We were not an army of horny Hollows. We were a community of emotionally disorientated people. We'd gone years without any real feelings. To suddenly experience them again was both exciting and terrifying. Some did not cope well and committed suicide within the first few days... Others refused to accept the emotions and cut themselves off, like Ulquiorra. And the rest of us began to adapt and resolve to this life. Becoming Arrancar, Espada... Beings worth more than dirt." he nodded to himself, "Some of us got curious... Wondered how deep the feelings went... Wondered if love was possible..."

"So you and Szayel tried to find the answer?" the youth breathed.

"Yeah. But we were still driven by instinct with no clue of what love was... So instead it turned out only to be sex." Grimmjow shrugged, "We realised quickly that there was no love between us, but there was some level of physical attraction, so we killed some time together, spending a few hours in each others' company, forgetting the rest of the world. I... Stopped though. I've not been with him for little over a year."

Ichigo looked at him intently as he finished speaking, "I-I understand. I don't think any less of you for it. Sounds like you earned it in one way." he laughed weakly, "Why did you stop though?"

Grimmjow looked around at him again and flashed a grin, "I stopped because Aizen-sama learned something... He learned that Hollows retain much of their animal instinct, but it is dormant. Subconscious. But one of the main instincts is to find a mate. A good, strong mate. So while we can dally as much as we like with each other, our only chances of love are with... Our mate. We only get one. A life mate. I stopped because... I wanted a chance to find my life mate."

That was the last thing he had expected, "Wow..." he breathed, "That's kind of beautiful."

"Mm, tell me about it. I might not look it, but I'm quite a romantic at heart." The Espada smiled slightly and let out a breath.

Ichigo looked at him and smiled back, "Nothing wrong with a romantic."

"Heh, I'm glad you agree." he winked slightly and stood up, "You look like you are ready to sleep again, so I'll leave you to it. See you tomorrow kid."

Grimmjow left the room and closed the door, letting out a long breath before he looked at his hands, his eyes narrowing as he watched them glowing blue with his Reiatsu, his temperature was up slightly as well. He snorted slightly and began walking to his own room.


End file.
